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Meet the Next Generation of Justice-Impacted Leaders

JFF announces JUMP Leadership Academy participants

June 3, 2026

At a Glance

The JUMP Leadership Academy participants are young adults who have been impacted by the justice system and are now learning about public policy, strengthening their leadership skills, and using their voices to elevate critical social justice issues.

Contributors

Lucretia Murphy Vice President

Brandi Mandato Senior Director

Noah Bein Director, Justice and Mobility

Shaun Libby Manager

Jasmin Tomas Manager

Practices & Centers

During the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Justice & Upward Mobility Project (JUMP) and the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition (SJC) launched the JUMP Leadership Accelerator (JLA), a career and leadership program for justice-impacted young adult changemakers ages 18–25, with technical assistance support provided by Jobs for the Future’s Center for Justice & Economic Advancement. Inspired by the life of Larry Miller, chairman of Jordan Brand Advisory Board, JLA creates pathways at the intersection of sports business, public policy, and social impact.

The Accelerator includes three components:

The Assist: 8‑week rotations with an NBA team and a local advocacy organization;
The Academy: JLA’s signature policy training component, designed by JFF; and
The Advance: opportunities to activate during milestone moments, such as NBA All‑Star Weekend and the JFF Horizons Summit.

JLA’s inaugural cohort includes six JUMP Leaders working with the following NBA teams and organizations: Boston Celtics / More than Words, Cleveland Cavaliers / Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention, Los Angeles Clippers / Brotherhood Crusade, and Milwaukee Bucks / MENTOR Greater Milwaukee. Through hands-on experience, policy and advocacy training, and access to national platforms, JLA empowers the next generation to drive meaningful change.

Meet the participants

Khalil Hayes

Khalil Hayes is a member of the JUMP Leadership Accelerator, representing the Los Angeles Clippers, and working to develop leadership, civic engagement, and community impact across Los Angeles. Raised in Inglewood, Khalil comes from a proud Caribbean background that has shaped his values of resilience, service, and cultural pride.

Khalil graduated from Los Angeles Trade Technical College in 2023 and is also a recent honors graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, where he earned his degree in sociology. His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to understanding social systems and advocating for communities that are often overlooked.

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For nearly eight years, Khalil has been involved with Brotherhood Crusade, contributing to programs dedicated to youth empowerment and community development. He also served as president of the BHC Youth Advisory Council, where he worked alongside other young leaders to address issues impacting youth and families across Los Angeles.

Khalil’s leadership extends into civic engagement, as well. He served on a Workforce Board Youth Council in Los Angeles and was selected as one of only 30 young leaders, out of more than 300 applicants, to join the Olivia Mitchell Youth Council. In this role, he represented Council District 10 under Heather Hutt, helping bring youth perspectives into conversations about policy and community development.

Driven by a passion for advocacy, Khalil is committed to uplifting the voices of those who feel unheard. Through leadership, service, and mentorship, he strives to set the tone for others in his community, proving that young people not only deserve a seat at the table but also can harness the power to help shape the future.

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Jayden Hernandez

Jayden “JJ” Hernandez is a youth advocate, leader, and inaugural JUMP Leader from Boston. Through the JUMP Leadership Accelerator, Jayden has worked with the Boston Celtics and continued his advocacy efforts with More Than Words, where he focuses on advancing opportunities for court-involved and system-impacted youth and using his lived experience to inform policy and drive meaningful change. He has testified at the Massachusetts State House and works directly with community and government partners to promote diversion, prevention, and pathways to economic mobility for young people.

Andrew Hogan

Andrew L. Hogan is a Cleveland native who is emerging as a powerful voice in systems reform, policy advocacy, and community transformation through the JUMP Leadership Accelerator. Deeply committed to advancing justice and opportunity, Andrew is dedicated to helping reform and reshape the systems and policies—including the more than 40,000 collateral consequences that often serve as barriers for justice-impacted individuals.

Andrew’s long-term vision is to help create pathways to affordable housing and economic stability for people impacted by the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on addressing the structural barriers that limit access to opportunity and successful reentry.

A man in a suit and tie holding a basketball stands in front of a backdrop with the words

Through his assignment as a JUMP Leader, Andrew is working closely with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the team’s policy priorities, bringing a thoughtful and community-informed lens to this work. In addition, he is supporting the Cleveland Office of Violence Prevention, where his lived experience and unique perspective are invaluable to advancing meaningful policy solutions and community-based strategies.

Andrew is strengthening both his natural leadership abilities and the skills he has developed through experience. The program has deepened his understanding of policy and advocacy best practices, strategic approaches, case studies, and the common pitfalls to avoid when driving systems-level change.

Andrew is excited to continue building on his personal and professional trajectory as he works to create lasting impact for justice-impacted communities and help shape fairer systems for the future.

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Xavier Holland

Xavier Holland is a current member of the JUMP Leadership Accelerator and an emerging leader in community advocacy, policy engagement, and civic change. Xavier has gained hands-on experience in understanding and influencing policy at both the city and federal levels, with a focus on expanding opportunities for all and advancing community impact.

As part of his leadership development and advocacy work, Xavier is assigned to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he has built valuable experience through strategic engagement with one of the NBA’s leading organizations. In this role, he supported the Clippers’ Basketball Blvd activation during NBA All-Star Weekend, contributing to high-visibility community and fan engagement efforts.

In addition, Xavier served as a 50/50 Ticket Sales Representative for the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2025 season, where he helped generate $23,920 across a 9-game season, averaging $2,658 per game. This experience further strengthened his skills in public engagement, relationship-building, and results-driven execution.

Xavier’s commitment to policy and advocacy is rooted in his belief that community challenges are not simply problems to solve, but opportunities for transformation, innovation, and learning. He is especially passionate about issues such as neighborhood cleanliness, economic mobility, and creating safe, supportive educational environments. His work is driven by a deep desire to help ensure that younger generations—including his own siblings and family members—can see clear pathways to success, even in the face of adversity.

Outside of his professional and advocacy work, Xavier enjoys activities that keep his mind sharp and creative, including playing chess, designing football plays, and baking favorites like sweet potato pies and biscuits.

Xavier welcomes opportunities to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge with others committed to community impact and systems change.

Devonte Hudia

Devonte Hudia is an individual shaped by resilience, growth, and real-life experiences that have built his character and purpose. He graduated from Cleveland Central Catholic in 2020 before attending Xavier University in Cincinnati during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he completed a full year of college. Following the devastating loss of his little brother, he made the difficult decision to step away from school — a turning point that deeply influenced his outlook on life, responsibility, and personal growth.

Since then, he has focused on hard work, discipline, and building a meaningful future. He currently works two jobs with JUMP and 1-800-GOT-JUNK while also pursuing entrepreneurship as the founder of All Family Streetwear — a brand rooted in loyalty, authenticity, and turning real-life experiences into creative expression and community connection.

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Giving back remains central to who he is. For the past four summers, he has helped run a program at Jefferson Park—the same park he grew up in—creating a positive and safe space for youth while serving as a mentor and role model in his community. His past includes personal mistakes that led to time in jail, experiences that forced him to take accountability and learn from real consequences. Those challenges became lessons that strengthened his mindset and commitment to growth.

Today, he continues to evolve as a leader, entrepreneur, and positive community voice. Looking ahead, one of his long-term goals is to own his own clothing store, distributing not only his own brand but other brands across the city of Cleveland, and potentially serve as a councilman in his city—using his lived experiences to influence change, inspire others, and help shift the narrative for individuals striving to overcome their past and build a better future. His mission is to continue growing, giving back, and proving that resilience, accountability, and purpose can lead to transformation

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Amere Watson

Amere Watson is a freshman at Marquette University, where she is studying biological sciences with the long-term goal of pursuing a career in medicine and becoming a doctor. A Milwaukee native, Amere has long been passionate about neuroscience and is deeply committed to advancing her education in the sciences.

The second youngest of six children, Amere’s ambition and resilience have been evident from an early age. While completing high school, she balanced employment responsibilities alongside her studies and successfully completed Upward Bound, a pre-college program designed to support first-generation college students from underrepresented communities.

As a JUMP Leadership Academy Fellow, Amere is gaining hands-on experience through placements with both the Milwaukee Bucks and Mentor Greater Milwaukee. With the Bucks, her work centers on community engagement initiatives, including voter turnout and civic participation efforts. Through Mentor Greater Milwaukee, she contributes to advancing best practices and training strategies that strengthen local mentoring organizations.

Outside of her academic and professional work, Amere enjoys reading and lifelong learning. She is also a proud mother who leads by example, demonstrating determination, purpose, and excellence in every space she enters.

About JUMP

JUMP works to transform how America sees the more than 80 million people with records, shifting the national narrative from risk to potential. Through the cultural influence of sports, business, and entertainment, JUMP reshapes narratives and unlocks access to education, employment, and economic mobility for youth and adults impacted by the justice system.